The department of critical care medicine has a high prevalence of hospital acquired infections, which are closely associated with prognosis of critically ill patients. With hospital acquired infections as the axis, the treatment of critically ill patients can be divided into three phases: management of the primary disease and support of organ function, treatment of various complications resulting from the primary disease, and control of further damage and new complications. The cycle of the last two phases may put the patient in a state of Persistent inflammation, Immunosuppression, and Catabolism Syndrome (PICS), which ultimately leads to a poor prognosis. Fine control of the above three stages to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections is a non-negligible component of the critical care process. Therefore, how to understand, prevent and treat hospital acquired infections is a top priority in the current development of critical care medicine. This review provides a comprehensive overview of strategies for the prevention and management of hospital acquired infections in critical care, covering five areas: changing the perception of hospital acquired infections, standardizing specific prevention interventions, consolidating the theoretical basis, recognizing that hospital acquired infection prevention are treatments, and integrating treatment to quality assurance. The aim is to develop the concept of severe treatment based on the prevention and control of severe patients, reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections of severe patients and improve the quality of critical care.

Catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI), a common complication in the department of critical care medicine, may result in longer stay in the department of critical care medicine, increased hospitalization costs, even sepsis that leads to increased mortality in severe patients. The infection control of CRBSI has become the focus of the department of critical care medicine and even hospital management as well as the core of quality control. At present, the prevention program of CRBSI in the department of critical care medicine has been basically in place, and the national standards for infection prevention during central venous catheter placement and maintenance have been established. The establishment and implementation of these norms can effectively reduce the incidence of CRBSI, but CRBSI in the department of critical care medicine is still common and serious, indicating that there are defects in the aseptic operation during central vein catheterization and use. The corre- sponding operation process should be investigated and improved, and efforts should be made from the aspects of theory, management, education, norms, and supervision to avoid or reduce the occurrence of CRBSI and even achieve zero infection by improving and implementing various sensory control requirements in clinical operation.